Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger: Seven Days
by SoTiredBlah
Summary: When Ahim de Famille is forced to marry Warz Gil, her father is desperate for her to learn how to defend herself. With luck, there's a group of penniless pirates who just came into the Kingdom. Seeing it as a way to settle their debt, Marvelous sends off Joe and Luka to answer the king's call. JoexAhim. Pirate AU.
1. First Day: Arrival

**First Day: Arrival**

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**Disclaimer: I do not own Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger... I pirated it ;D**

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"Land ho!"

From the bowsprit of the galleon, a man wearing a billowing red coat watched as the coast line of the nearing land drew closer.

"Keep on going!" he shouted as he felt the winds pick up, pushing the ship faster against the currents.

"Marvelous!" a woman dressed with a yellow jacket came from behind him. "What do you think you're doing?! We're going to crash!"

"No, we're not," Marvelous smiled lazily, "It's going to be al-"

But before he could say, "right", the galleon ran aground on the sandy beach, jagged rocks and boulders smashing against the ship's bottom. Marvelous lost his balance and managed to fall back onto the deck of the ship, while Luka managed to grab onto a hanging rope to secure her balance.

"Look what you did," she seethed at him. "I told you we were going to crash!"

"Technically, we didn't crash," Marvelous told her.

"What do you call this?!" Luka asked him.

Marvelous smiled like a Cheshire cat, "We ran aground."

Luka stared at her captain in disbelief as he walked past her. Luka frowned and ran past him, over to the starboard side of the boat where the other two members of the ship were observing the damage.

"Doc!" she called out to the man with bushy blonde hair and a green jacket. "What's the damage?"

"The entire hull's been scratched and will have to be repaired. The keel's fine though, so nothing wrong there," Doc called back.

"Where are we?" the other man down there called up, not paying attention to his ponytailed hair flicking around in the wind.

"I think we're in the Kingdom de Famille," Luka said, pulling out a telescope. "Yeah, I see their castle now."

"Kingdom... de Famille?" Joe asked cautiously.

"The one near the fallen kingdom... What was its name again..." Luke scratched her head as she tried to remember.

"In any case," Marvelous grabbed another rope and swung down onto the beach, "We need to get food, I'm hungry."

"Good idea," Doc smiled, "I'm glad I don't have to cook after that."

"Okay!" Luka descended from the boat as well, "I'm in the mood for meat and grog!"

The three of them began to walk down the beaten path before Luka realized that Joe still hadn't budged from where he was standing.

"What's wrong, Joe?" she called out.

Joe turned around, "What do you mean?"

"You seem... off. Not as alert as usual," Luka replied.

"There's nothing wrong with me," he assured them as he followed them. "Let's go, before Marvelous faints."

"Captain's orders," Marvelous said with a lazy grin as his first mate caught up to them.

* * *

Trumpet fanfare filled the air as a royal carriage entered the courtyard of Castle de Famille. From the imposing doors of the castle stood the king and his daughter, awaiting the arrival of their guest from another kingdom.

The carriage stopped in front of the red carpet, and the doors were ceremoniously opened by foot guards as a man wearing a white uniform nearing the point of ridiculous came out.

The royal messenger cleared his throat, "Presenting, His Highness, Prince Warz Gil of the Zangyack Kingdom!"

More trumpeting filled the air as Warz Gil ascended towards the king, followed closely by his sword bearing bodyguard, who was appropriately dressed in a simple black uniform.

"Your Majesty," Warz Gil said in greeting as he bowed towards the king.

"We are delighted to have you here, Prince Warz Gil," the king said in reply. "As is my daughter, Princess Ahim de Famille, are you not?"  
Ahim smiled, albeit weakly, "Yes, father, I am happy to see the Zangyack prince again."

"Excellent!" King de Famille turned and entered his castle, with Ahim following him on his left, Warz Gil on his right. "I must say, your visit was surprising," he said to Warz, "What is the purpose of it?"

"Your Majesty," began Warz Gil, "We have found ourselves allies for a long time, have we not?"

"We have," stated the King.

"Wouldn't it be more... fruitful, more beneficial if it was something official?" Warz Gil shook his hands, the tassels on his sleeves flinging out chaotically in his encouragement. "I came here to ask for a marriage with your daughter, the beautiful Ahim de Famille!"

A small gasp slipped out of Ahim as she heard the words.

"Well, I see," blustered the King, though still attempting to find a way out of it. "Have you talked to the emperor yet?"

"The emperor?"

"Yes, the emperor," the King looked relieved as he found a way to stall for time. "Our family is descended from the emperor. Naturally, you will need to ask him for his blessing before you ask for mine."

"I see," Warz Gil thought about it for two minutes before clapping his hands together, "I won't wait any longer, I'm off to see the emperor! Come with me, Barizorg!"

"Yes, boss," said his bodyguard as he bowed respectfully to the king and Ahim before following his charge.

When the doors were shut and all their attendants were gone, the King turned towards his daughter.

"My dear, you cannot be married to that man," he said quickly. "His father is a madman, and I fear Warz Gil will be going the same way as him."

"Yes, father," Ahim nodded her head, "I understand... but what if there is no choice?"

"If there is no choice, then you will have to learn how to defend yourself," King de Famille looked worried, stressed to the limit. "I will need to scour our kingdom for the best instructor to teach you. Yes, to teach you about marksmanship and swordsmanship.

"Ahim, you will need to start soon," he said to his daughter. "He will be back within a week's time, and you must be ready by then, just in case.

"Messenger!"

The royal messenger appeared at the doorway, and bowed, "Your majesty."

"Send out flyers towards the entire kingdom, with your swiftest messengers and horses. I need to find the best instructors of marksmanship and swordsmanship for my daughter!"

"Yes, your majesty," and with that, he left, leaving Ahim alone with her father.

"Is this the best thing to do?" she asked him.

"It is the only way that I can protect you," he said sadly.

* * *

"Oi, customer," the bar proprietor called out to Marvelous, who was on his 10th bowl of food. "Can you even pay for all of this?"

"Don't worry about it," Marvelous said as he bit down into the chicken, "Just put it on my tab."

He held out the empty bowl, "More!" he said, an eager smile on his face.

"Oi, oi, Marvelous," Luka nudged him, "Don't attract so much attention."

"Yeah," Doc looked around worriedly, "We don't want people to turn our bounty."

Joe continued to drink his grog, which catching Luka's hand as she tried to steal his food.

"Try stealing from Marvelous," he said as he released her hand.

"Tch, so annoying."

The proprietor plonked down another bowl of food in front of Marvelous, "So where are you four from?"

"Us?" Marvelous asked between gulps of food. "We're the Gokai-Pirates."

"Marvelous!" shouted Luka and Doc in unison.

"Who?"

"The Gokai-Pirates," Luka said indignantly.

"Can't say I've ever heard of you guys," he said. "I'm Navi, by the way."

"Navi?" Luka's face lit up, "You mean, the legendary navigator that sailed with the Red Pirates?"

Navi smiled, his face crinkling, "The very same. By the way, your captain owes me 1000 zagins now. I suggest you stop before you go over your tab."

"Hear that, Marvelous?" Doc tried to take away his food, "Stop eating he said!"

"Do we even have any money?" Joe asked nonchalantly.

"Not enough," Luka answered as she pulled out a mere 20 zagins. "We don't even have enough to fix the ship."

Navi looked at them, "Tell you what," he said, "Stick around for a week and pay off your debt. There should be some odd jobs in town for you to do to get your money."

"Only thing we can do now," said Luka miserably. "Stupid Marvelous! This is all your fault!"

"Be quiet, I'm eating!"

Navi chuckled at the pair of them bickering, while Joe continued to look distractedly out the window.

"There's nothing out there, you know," Navi told him. "Just the remains of the fallen kingdom."

"I see," Joe downed his drink and set it down, suddenly looking at the doorway.

A messenger bearing the royal coat of arms came into the doorway.

"Master Navi of the Bar, I bring for you a message from the castle," he held out the scroll and Navi took it, with an imperceptible nod.

"Now, what could this be," he said as he unravelled the scroll. "To all my loyal subjects, we of the Royal family are searching for an instructor to teach our heir apparent in the ways of marksmanship and swordsmanship for the next week. The instructor will be given living quarters in the castle as well as food and drink. The chosen instructor will be handsomely rewarded. All applicants are asked to report to the castle tomorrow morning."

"Hey!" Doc's face lit up, "Luka and Joe could apply for this position!"

"They said they only want one though," Joe said.

"Doesn't matter if you're experts in your field," Navi said thoughtfully. "You could attempt to bargain with the king saying that one will work with the princess in marksmanship and the other with a sword.

"And then you can pay me back in a week."

"Sounds good," Marvelous finished his meal with a loud clatter of his spoon. "Joe, Luka! Apply for that position together. Earn some money so we can repair our ship and pay back old man Navi."

"O-old man Navi?" Navi laughed.

"What?" Luka was angry again, "Why me? Why not Doc?"

"Because I need him to repair the ship," answered Marvelous.

"Then why not you?!" she shouted.

"Captain's orders," replied Marvelous.

Luka crossed her arms in defiance, while Joe said nothing. It was a given that he would have to teach swordsmanship. After all, he was the best on the ship with a sword.

"To tomorrow then," Joe said as he raised his drink in a toast.

"That's the spirit," Marvelous also raised his drink, along with Doc and a slightly-less-angrier Luka.

Navi poured himself a drink as well and joined in, "To tomorrow, and the money I'm going to get from your glutton of a captain."

_ "_Cheers!"

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** Hehe, I'm back~ Well sorta. I actually have all the chapters written out in advance for this fanfiction so don't worry about really long breaks in between chapters, but at the moment, one of my lovely editors is out of the country, touring the world and things. So... this is the first chapter that was only edited by Lisa :) Probably take around a month to get the other chapters edited and then weekly updates :) bear with me because I've been working like a madman on this fanfic for the past ten days and I really want to get these chapters out to you as fast as I possibly can. **

** So on a side note, apparently my writing style has changed? Maybe, but I can't tell. Maybe you can :D been a while since I've written a long fanfiction. Umm... there was another one that I wanted to do... but that's been put on the backburner for the longest time LOL hopefully this will give me the drive to complete it!**

**Umm, as well, this fic is set in an European AU... so in order to conform with the settings, I've used western honourifics and titles and name placements (i.e First name, last name) as opposed to my usual style.**

** Hope you guys enjoyed this first chapter! Don't forget to leave a review :)**


	2. Second Day: Try-outs

**Second Day: Try-outs**

* * *

Dawn crept over the land, as the sun's rays beamed down onto Joe's face. Slowly, he opened his eyes and sat up in his bed, listening to the sound of the waves as they splashed against the ship. Joe looked out of the porthole, taking in the patterns of the sand as the sun slowly lit up the terrain, allowing some grains to sparkle as they caught the light.

Joe got out of bed and took his cutlass from his bedside. Taking care not to wake the others, he jumped down from the deck to the sand, landing with a soft clunk. With care, he drew his sword out of its scabbard and slowly, he began to wield it.

With every pass he made, every motion he did, his speed increased, allowing him to immerse himself in his own world, while remaining alert of his surroundings. Sweat began to bullet down towards the sand as time went on, while Joe continued to practice. Time seemed to pass over quickly as the sun began to rise further into the sky, but for Joe, he continued to toil away, attempting to fight off his fatigue.

"Head's up!" Luka's voice called out, as she aimed her flintlock musket at Joe.

"Oi, Luka!" Joe said urgently, but to no avail. Luka pulled the trigger and with a loud bang of gunpowder and smoke, the shot was made.

Quickly, Joe sidestepped, watching the bullet impact the sand where he had just stood.

"What was that for?" he called up to her, as she began to pack another bullet into the musket.

"Oh you know, just making sure that I'm still good with this thing," she said as she tipped some gunpowder into the muzzle. "You never know what that king will make us teach his daughter."

With a grunt, Joe swished his cutlass, flicking off the dirt that had collected onto the blade. Making a mental note to clean it later, he replaced it back into the scabbard and climbed back on deck.

* * *

"Oh? Look who it is," Navi shifted the barrel of grog into place as he saw the pirates enter his bar. "My favourite band of money-pigs."

"Yo! Old man Navi!" Marvelous said in greeting, "Breakfast! I'm famished."

"Hehe," Navi set away to the kitchen, "You guys are going to make me rich."

"Just lay it on our tab for now," replied Marvelous cheekily.

"Wait," Navi popped his head out, "Aren't you two supposed to be up at the castle already?"

"Too early," Luka sat down at a stool, putting her legs up. "And besides, we're hungry."

Navi just nodded, and slid back into the kitchen, coming out in a few minutes with a hearty breakfast of sausages, bacon, and eggs.

"Meat!" Marvelous' eyes lit up as he stabbed one of the sausages with his fork, glorifying in the mess of it all.

"By the way," Navi slid over two sheets of paper towards Luka and Joe. "You two might want to fill out these forms when you apply to teach the princess."

"What are these?" Joe began to read one of them, making sure that none of his bacon grease splattered on it.

"Forms. To make sure that you have nothing shady behind your intent. And to be certain that you're a citizen here."

"You got a quill and ink?" Joe asked.

"Of course, but it'll cost you," Navi winked.

Luka was unperturbed, "Put it on our tab."

"Fiesty, aren't you," Navi grinned, "Oh, by the way, for the address, just put the bar. If you put down that thing you call a galleon, they'll kick you out of the castle."

"Good idea," Luka scribbled it onto the sheet. "Joe, real names or fake names?"

"Real," Joe said without a hint of hesitation. "Even if we get caught, we'll gain notoriety."

"Why not," Luka placed the quill back into the ink pot.

"Luka Milfy, Royal Marksmanship instructor and lookout aboard the galleon," she said to herself. "Not bad."

* * *

With boots crunching the gravel on the path towards the castle, Luka and Joe moved at a steady pace.

"_Ne_, Joe," Luka was saying, "What do you think this princess is like?"

"Probably really polite," Joe shrugged, not sure of what to say.

"You think so?" Luka crossed her arms and frowned, "I wonder why her father wants her to learn this stuff so suddenly."

Joe continued to walk forward, "Probably some political scandal or whatever."

"Halt! Who goes there!" a guard stepped forward from the nearing castle gates.

"I do, as does my friend," Joe said smoothly, presenting him with a glimpse of their forms and the poster calling for instructors.

"Right," the guard rang a bell, "Please wait here while an aide comes and escorts you to the king."

In a few moments, the aide appeared and asked Joe and Luka to follow him, with instructions on how to behave.

"Do not speak until spoken to. Bow when entering and leaving his presence," the aide advised. Reaching a regal set of doors, he rapped the doors smartly.

"Enter!" came an order from the throne room.

The aide walked into the room, followed closely by Joe and Luka who flanked him on either side. With a bow, the aide said in reverence, "Your majesty."

With a look at each other, the two pirates bowed and emulated the aide, with a "Your majesty," said in unison.

"Rise," said King de Famille. Joe and Luka looked towards the throne, where the king sat. Beside him stood his daughter, who had decided to dress simply, wearing a plain white dress.

Frowning, the king addressed them, "I believe I only asked for one instructor..."

"We work better as a team, your majesty," Luka replied, indicating the rifle she had in her hands. "I'm good with firearms..."

"... and I'm better with the sword," finished Joe, gesturing at his cutlass.

"Certainly that may be true, but I'd prefer just one..." the king said hesitantly.

"Father," Ahim's quiet voice cut into the growing tension. "Would it not be better to test their ability first? After all, there was no one that has met your standards yet."

"That's true," agreed the king. "Very well, you may attempt to pass the tests. Should one of you fail, both of you will be out."

"Easy enough," Luka smirked, while Joe gave a nod of acknowledgment. "Where do we start?"

* * *

In the courtyard, the five stone pillars with apples perched on top of them had been set up near the stone walls, while a platform had been set up fifty yards away.

"From the platform, you will pierce through all the apples in two minutes or less," explained the king. "Time will start when you hit the first apple. We'll be watching from there."

Taking their leave, the king and Ahim sat underneath an erected canopy, defending themselves from the sun.

"Luka," whispered Joe, "this is a fool's errand. There's no way that you can shoot accurately at all of them in two minutes. It'll take you at least thirty seconds to reload each one."

"Maybe," Luka lifted her rifle, taking careful aim. Licking the tip of her finger to gauge the wind's direction, she shifted her body posture. "Don't worry," she said to Joe who had still not budged from her side. "I'll be alright.

"Go stand over with the royals for a second," she told him.

Joe nodded, "You better know what you're doing, or we'll be here for a long time cleaning up Marvelous' tab."

Luka grimaced, "How could I forget about that glutton of a captain."

Joe jumped lightly off of the platform, and headed towards the canopy, "Excuse me, your majesty," he said. "I just need a place to wait."

Ahim spoke before her father, "Of course," she said with a graceful smile, gesturing to the space beside her "Would you like a chair?"

"I'm fine," he replied, moving over to her side. From there, he had a clear vantage point of Luka, who appeared to be taking her time.

"Any longer and the wind is going to knock the apples over," remarked the king.

Joe remained silent, not trusting himself to speak. However, as the wind died down, he saw Luka raise her rifle... forty degrees to the right of the rightmost apple. "Oi, Luka!" he hissed under his breath.

But he needn't to have worried, for as soon as Luka pulled the trigger, the lead ball had hit her intended target, a small niche in the wall that force the bullet to ricochet into an accelerating straight path, piercing all of the apples in one go.

"Nice shot, me!" she congratulated herself. Turning towards the king, she called out, "Did I pass your test?"

The king slowly ceased his clapping, "Your partner still has to prove himself.

"Of course," Luka gave a mock salute with two fingers, followed with a shallow bow. "Your turn, Joe."

"Got it," Joe stepped from under the canopy, drawing his cutlass. "Who's my opponent?"

"Captain Shiba, if you please," the king called out for a woman who carried a rapier at her side. With her hair tied up crisply behind her, she gave off an aura of no-nonsense. "This is the captain of my guard. However, she had only come to my kingdom today to assist with the choosing of an instructor for my daughter. Otherwise, she would be back in the mountains, fending off vile raiders from our peace."

"Woman or not, I won't go easy," Joe announced.

Captain Shiba scoffed, "Cocky or not, I'll make sure to beat you."

Drawing their swords to their faces in salute, they slowly began to pace around each other, gauging the other's reaction.

"If I go here," said Captain Shiba in a talkative way, watching as Joe reverse-mirrored her step. "Very good. Now I go slide over here..."

Again, Joe responded correctly, waiting for an opportunity to pounce.

"Correct again..." Captain Shiba murmured.

"But what if I do this?"

With sudden intent, she thrust her sword forward. Joe dodged it and brought his blade to block hers as the Captain Shiba slashed sideways to make up for her thrust. Seizing his advantage, Joe knocked away her blade, and began a flurry of chops, cuts, and slices. To her credit, Captain Shiba managed to fend away every attempt.

"You're very talented," she congratulated him. "That's a style I haven't seen before. Is it new?"

"It's traditional," countered Joe as he plunged into the fray again, this time relying on heavy hacks and slashes, alternating between two-handed and one-handed attacks. With each passing blow, the female combatant slowly lost her footing, until Joe unleashed a ferocious upwards attack, knocking her sword into the air. Catching it as it fell, Joe pointed it towards the fallen woman.

"My victory," he said triumphantly.

"So it would seem," Captain Shiba said as she knocked away her sword with the back of her hand.

Joe shook hands with the Captain, "Good match," he said as she waved away his compliment.

"Next time, I'll get you," she replied.

Joe turned towards the king, "Have we proved ourselves yet?"

"Yes, yes, I'm quite pleased," said the king. "Now if you could just come over here and we could begin the oath."

"Oath?" Luka looked surprised. "I didn't hear about any oath!"

"Just a minor one, I'm sure as citizens of my kingdom, you won't mind swearing an oath."

Luka grumbled, remembering that they were to pretend as though they belonged here. "Of course, your majesty," she said.

"Now then," the king looked at their forms, "Do you, Luka and Joe, swear to protect your charge, the princess. Do you swear to instruct her to a degree of competence? Will you swear loyalty to her?"

At the last part, Luka clicked her tongue once, signaling for Joe to look at her fingers, which were now crossed. Noticing their discomfort, Ahim interfered.

"Father," she began, "As citizens, they are already loyal to royalty as shown through their dedication to come here. There should not be any need to make them swear this oath."

"Hmm," the king stroked his beard. "Very well, there is no need. Well then, please begin training my daughter tomorrow. I leave her in your care."

Luka and Joe both bowed, "Yes, your majesty."

As he raised his head, Joe looked up and saw the princess observing them both carefully...

* * *

**Haha, yes! Pearl came back early~ And of course, that means weekly updates from now on :D All on a Monday of course, so we can all look forward to someone on Monday! :D Hopefully, you're having a rising interest in this story :) **

** So Luka and Joe passed their test, no one ever doubted them! And now they're off to teach Ahim... this should be interesting ;)**

** On a side note, I hope you enjoyed seeing Kaoru in this chapter! Though she's not named, of course... hurhurhur. A little homage to episodes 13-14 of the series. Seriously. With that last episode especially. Such. Ahim. Cuteness. **

** As always, thank you Lisa and Pearl for editing! And thanks to those that reviewed, favourited, subscribed or read! It means a lot to me :) **

** See you next Monday! :D**


	3. Third Day: Just the Start

**Third Day: Just the Start**

* * *

"It is a pleasure to meet you both," the princess bowed towards her new instructors, who looked unimpressed with the petite figure in front of them. "I am Princess Ahim de Famille. I hope I may master your techniques to a degree of what you showed yesterday."

"Right..." Luka put her hands on her hip, while inspecting Ahim from top to bottom.

"Is there something wrong, Ms. Luka?" Ahim asked with a bright smile on her face.

"Ms. Luka?" Luka looked momentarily surprised, but she recovered quickly. "No, I'm good, thanks.

Clapping her hands, she looked at Joe. "So you know who we are, obviously," Luka said, pointing at herself and Joe. "Here's how it's going to work, I'm going to take the morning classes, when the sun is still shining and visibility is all clear. Joe's going to take the afternoon session, because..." Luka thought hard, "Why are you taking the afternoons?"

"Because it'll give me more time to prepare for today's session," said Joe as he walked away.

"Don't forget lunch!" Luka called after him. Joe responded with a casual wave before retreating into the castle.

Luka turned towards Ahim, rubbing her hands together in anticipation. "Now... where were we?"

* * *

A shriek of fear was heard throughout the courtyard as Ahim fell to the ground from the recoil of the pistol. Beside her stood Luka, shaking her head at the dismal display of physical strength that Ahim had shown her so far.

"Not like that," she told Ahim. "Plant your foot firmly into the ground first. Not just your heel."

Ahim nodded, "I will try again."

Picking herself up from the ground, she brushed the dust from the folds of her dress. Luka clicked her tongue softly in disapproval.

"Ms. Luka," Ahim asked politely. "Is there something wrong?"

Luka pointed to her outfit, "As much as I love your fashion taste, it's not suitable for what we're doing."

"I see," Ahim nodded, "Forgive me. I was not sure of what to wear."

Taken aback, Luka tried again, "Maybe you should try wearing something like this," she advised Ahim, displaying her own, more practical outfit. "It would help you out when it comes to your swordsmanship lesson with Joe this afternoon."

"I will try to find appropriate clothes for tomorrow," Ahim promised. She walked over to a wooden table that was being attended to by one of the servants. Placing the used pistol onto the table, she took another pre-loaded pistol. Returning to Luka, she took her stance once again.

"Step one, plant your first firmly onto the ground," Luka told her.

Ahim did as she said, ensuring that her feet were in a comfortable position. "It has been done."

"Next step, lift and aim your pistol," Luka said, watching her carefully. After Ahim gave her confirmation, she moved onto the last step.

"When you're ready, fire on your own time," Luka instructed her.

Squeezing the trigger, Ahim fell back once more, while the bullet was shot harmlessly into the air. Luka shook her head once more.

"This is going to be a long few days," she whispered to herself.

Loudly, to Ahim, she said, "For tonight, practice."

* * *

Ahim watched from the opposite end of the dining table as both Luka and Joe stuffed themselves, devouring an entire table full of food. Luka showed a blatant disregard for her table manners, using her hands, while Joe had used a spoon and fork to shovel large amounts of food into his mouth.

"My, my," Ahim said with an interested smile. "I have never seen anyone eat our food so rapidly."

Luka stopped eating for a second to explain, "We haven't had a decent meal for a long time, or at least, not enough to fill us."

"Is that so?" Ahim laced her fingers delicately. "And where are you and Mr. Joe from, Ms. Luka?"

This time, Luka put her food, "What do you mean, Ahim?"

"It is clear to me," Ahim informed them. "That you two are not one of my subjects who live in my kingdom. You both showed discomfort when Father asked you to swear that oath."

Luka and Joe exchanged glances before Joe nodded.

"You're right," he said, putting down his utensils. "We're not from around here. We're actually pirates."

"Pirates?" Ahim looked slightly surprised. "How is it that you escaped capture?"

"We're not well-known, per se," Luka muttered, ashamedly.

"I see," Ahim poured herself some tea and sipped it quietly for a few moments.

"Well," Joe said, finally growing impatient of the silence. "Are you going to arrest us?"

"No, I do not think so," Ahim told them to their disbelief. "I believe that I still need you to teach me how to defend myself."

"And after?"

Ahim smiled at them, "Then you are free to go. After all, you have done nothing wrong."

Joe looked confused, while Luka just stared at the princess in confusion.

"By the way," Ahim called forth a servant who was waiting outside of the dining hall. "Would these clothes be suitable for your lesson, Mr. Joe?"

Luka and Joe looked at the pair of garments that Ahim had somehow procured from the castle.

"More suitable than your current dress, yes," answered Luka, drily.

"Excellent," Ahim said, appearing not to have heard Luka's tone. "I shall get changed and meet you in the courtyard in twenty minutes," she told Joe. "I look forward to our lesson, Mr. Joe."

"Of course, Princess Ahim," Joe replied.

Luka looked over at Joe, taken aback with his use of a respectful honorific, while Ahim's face also turned surprised, tinged with slight confusion.

"Twenty minutes, Mr. Joe," she repeated as she walked out of the room.

Behind her, Joe gulped down the rest of his drink, placing the tankard back onto the table, his face not revealing anything to Luka's curious stares.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Joe stepped out into the open sunshine. The sun had just reached its peak. Ahead, he could make out Ahim's figure waiting for him in her new clothes. Clenching his fist around the scabbard of his sword, he steeled himself before he walked towards her.

"Mr. Joe," Ahim greeted him as she saw him walking towards her. "I have arranged for a variety of swords to be brought into the castle. Which one will we start with?"

Joe grunted, "That would be pointless."

Ahim looked a bit hurt, "I am not sure I understand."

Clearing his throat awkwardly, Joe explained, "It's pointless at the moment to attempt to master all these different weapons," he said, gesturing to the different blades on the table. "I doubt you can even lift this broadsword."

Seeing the logic in his words, Ahim nodded.

"It would be better for you to just master one weapon," Joe told her. "Tell me, Ahim, what comes to mind when it comes to violence?"

"I believe that it would better if we did not have to fight as all," she replied in earnest.

Joe carefully studied the princess in front of him, "Explain to me your duties as a princess," he said as he walked towards the table, grazing each blade with the tip of his fingers.

Ahim was confused, "I am not sure I understand."

"What do you do at court?" Joe repeated, his back still facing her.

"At the moment, I am involved in ceremonial purposes. I am not really part any executive decisions," she answered, still wondering why Joe was asking.

Unbeknownst to her, Joe's mouth twitched as he chose her weapon. Turning back to her, he showed it out to her.

"This is what you'll learn to wield," he said as he displayed the sword to her. Unsheathing it, Joe swung it around gently. "For you, I chose the saber. Not only will it be light enough for you to use properly, you may also use it for ceremonial purposes."

Replacing it back into the scabbard, he held it out to her. Seeing her holding it incorrectly, he corrected her. "Not like that," he rebuked her. Indicating the space opposite from the curl guard, he instructed her, "Place your thumb opposite from the curl guard with your index finger opposite your thumb."

"Like this?" Ahim did as she was told, but her grip was still wrong.

"No," Joe reached out and covered her delicate hands with his sturdy hands. Changing the positioning of her thumb to go against the hilt, he firmly closed her grasp. "Like this."

They stood there silently in the middle of the courtyard. Ahim was staring at their hands while Joe's face turned neutral...

**BANG!**

The sound of gunfire shook them out of their reverie as they heard Luka swear from the other side of the palace.

Letting go of her hands, Joe asked, "Do you get it now?"

"Y-yes, I think I do," Ahim took the scabbard in her free hand and pulled the weapon from its sheath. She allowed herself to marvel in its simplistic design, save for the hilt, which was adorned with an elaborate pommel and complicated twisted wire knuckle-bow.

Joe nodded approvingly, before sliding over beside her. "You want to stand like this," he said, using himself as an example. "Your feet should be at a ninety degree angle with a footstep in between, knees bent, and place all your weight onto your back leg."

Ahim mimicked Joe's stance, while holding her saber at eye-level. Joe shook his head, and lifted his own sword away from his body and just above his hip, while having his other hand at a ready position near his sword arm.

Once more, Ahim copied Joe, creating an elegant duplicate.

"This is called the Terza stance," Joe explained as he began to shuffle forward while keeping the stance. "It's a natural stance, and easily usable to counter many attacks."

Following Joe, Ahim called out to him in curiosity, "Where did you learn these techniques. Did you learn them on your adventures?

"I heard Captain Shiba say that she had never seen your style of fight before. But... You had said they were traditional."

Joe paused, unsure of what to say. Breaking out of her stance, Ahim walked over to him, "Mr. Joe," she said, her eyes meeting his. "Did I ask you something personal?"

"It's nothing," Joe shook himself out of it. "Back to practice."

* * *

The sun had started to go down before Joe had decided that Ahim had practiced enough for the day. They had progressed from the Terza stance to the Quarta stance, with decent understanding of both stances. Feeling reasonably pleased with herself, Ahim returned back to her room with her saber still in hand. Closing the door behind her, she pressed herself against it, using it for support as she finally realized that her body had been overwhelmed by the physical activity that she was unused to. In fatigue, she slowly drooped her eyes...

A series of raps on the door caused her to awaken suddenly, Ahim becoming instantly alert.

"Ahim-sama," one of the servants asked from behind the door, "It is nearly time for dinner. Do you need my help changing?"  
"I will be fine, thank you," Ahim answered. Placing the saber down in a corner, she held her hands together, remembering the phantom imprint of Joe's hands on hers.

It was a gentle feeling, she decided. Gentle, but firm.

Within the security of her room, Ahim de Famille blushed in the darkness.

* * *

**Gosh, aren't we starting slowly ;) Or at least, that's what Lisa told me when she was reading this chapter. How ironic, considering the messes I get myself into.**

** So, we've seen Ahim start, and she can't fire a gun. Poor her :( but at least she's making good progress in Joe's class, right? Using a ceremonial saber :D Yay for all that pomp and circumstance :D**

** As always, thank you to the readers, new subscribers and favourites, as well as those that reviewed :) And to Pearl and Lisa, of course, for editing :D**

** Next week's chapter may be a bit late. I'm going to New York City :D going to play this song as soon as I get off the plane :D (** watch?v=XQfw76HldiE**)**

**Please leave a review! :D**


	4. Fourth Day: History

**Fourth Day: History**

* * *

Another day had arrived with a chilly breeze escorting it. The flags of the castle were swept and rippled wildly, while the sun still shone brightly. At the courtyard, Luka had just begun to teach Ahim about how to maintain her gun.

"You won't always have people cleaning it for you," Luka was telling Ahim. "So you need to learn how to clean it and reload it yourself."

Going through the process smoothly, Luka stopped every once in a while to give pointers on what to do. Dutifully, Ahim took note of everything that Luka was doing, waiting for her turn.

"And there, that's it!" Luka said once she had finished. "My teacher couldn't have done it better."

Luka flashed a smile at Ahim, "Your turn."

With careful motions, Ahim set about cleaning the barrel of the rifle first. Luka watched her carefully, making small noises every time she was about to do something wrong. As she had expected, Ahim was slow at it, but she didn't get flustered and forget the steps.

Finally, she completed it and held it out for inspection, "Have I done it correctly?" Ahim asked.

Luka was impressed that Ahim had managed to memorize the procedure by just seeing it once. "It's decent," she told the other girl. "Could've been faster, but it's your first time. Better than my first time."

"Thank you for teaching me so well," Ahim bowed.

"It was nothing," Luka replied. "Did you practice what I asked you to do yesterday?"

Ahim shook her head, "I am sorry, Ms. Luka. After Mr. Joe's training, I found myself too exhausted to do anything."

Luka put her hands on her hips, "Well, let's see if Joe's practice helped you strengthen your lower body."

Ahim walked over to the firing point and raised her pistol, holding it with two hands. Bracing her body, she planted herself firmly onto the ground before she pulled the trigger.

To both their amazement, Ahim didn't fall back, though she was forced to take a step back. Her shot had managed to graze the edge of the target, a remarkable improvement from the previous day's failures.

"Nice shot!" Luka cheered from the side. "Work on your aim now."

For the next few hours, Ahim fell into her groove. Clean, load, ready, aim, fire, repeat. By the end of the lesson, Luka was much more ecstatic about teaching Ahim.

"You're much better than yesterday," Luka congratulated her after Ahim had fired her last round.

"Thank you, Ms. Luka," Ahim said gratefully, as she began to clean up her pistol.

"I think my old teacher would've loved to have taught you," she mused, as she helped clean the other pistols.

"Ms. Luka, how long have you known Mr. Joe?" Ahim asked her suddenly.

Luka looked over at Ahim, trying to find any hidden meaning behind the words. When she found none, she decided that she would be safer with a partial truth.

"He was the second to join the crew of the Galleon," she answered. "The best swordsman on our ship. At first, he didn't really say much, but he did as he was told and protected each of us.

"I guess he was just really quiet until he grew comfortable," Luka said thoughtfully. "He trains a lot, though maybe now that we're staying in the castle a bit, he's stopped training so early in the morning."

"Is there a painful memory related to who taught him swordsmanship?" Ahim pressed on.

Luka looked at the princess again, noting her earnest desire to find out Joe's secrets.

Finally, she relented, "I think that person died in a fight. Joe doesn't talk about his past much."

Looking Ahim squarely in eyes, she told her, "If you really want to know everything, why don't you ask Joe?"

* * *

Luka stepped into the bar, becoming engulfed in the atmosphere. Ignoring the catcalls of the other customers, she sat at the bar counter where Marvelous hadn't noticed her coming in. With a swift slap on the back, she caused Marvelous to choke on his food.

Luka watched as Marvelous spat out his roasted meat in surprise as he turned towards her with livid eyes.

"I'm back and I see that you've eaten your way into oblivion," Luka scolded him.

"Welcome back," he said grumpily as he gulped down some water. "How was the castle?"

"It's okay," Luka shrugged. "Where's Doc?"

As if on cue, Doc came bursting out of the kitchen, "Luka!" he said joyfully, before Luka curbed his excitement through a punch in the gut. "Ow... that hurts, Luka."

"Then it's done the job," Luka said nonchalantly.

"Thought you would've picked up some manners from the princess," remarked Marvelous.

Luka scoffed, "Don't need to, I'm just there to teach her."

"Oh Luka!" Navi came out of the kitchen as well, placing a plate of food in front of her. "Your captain here, he owes me a lot on money!"

Luka spun over to look at Marvelous who had now begun to study the patterns in the wall very intensely.

"Marvelous..." she asked in a dangerous tone. "How much did you eat?"

Marvelous grinned, "Don't worry about it," he standing up. "It's a nice day for a walk, why don't we go for a walk."

Luka stared at her captain incredulously. "Don't ignore my question!" she yelled at him.

"I said I'm going for a walk," he called back lazily. "Come with me if you want to know."

"But I want to eat!" she argued.

Marvelous shrugged, "Suit yourself."

"Dammit!" Luka shovelled down her food quickly. "Stupid Marvelous!"

And with that, she followed her captain out the door.

Meanwhile, Doc was just watching the exchange, "Has no one noticed that I was here too?" he asked aloud. "I could've told her how much he ate."

* * *

While Luka had returned to check up on Marvelous and Doc at the bar, Joe still had to remain at the castle to instruct Ahim. By now, the wind had died down, leaving a cool breeze that only came at irregular intervals.

"Mr. Joe," Ahim greeted him as he walked over to her. "Are you well?"

"I'm fine," he said. Taking in the surroundings, he just saw a flat grassland. There was nothing that would trip up their footing.

Sensing his displeasure, Ahim asked him, "Is there something with the courtyard?"

Joe shrugged, "It's far too ideal."

"What is too ideal?" said Ahim in confusion.

With his hand sweeping across the landscape, he explained, "Most of the time, we won't have a flat land to fight on. While it's the best landscape, it's not the most practice."

"I understand," Ahim thought for a while. "Then, allow me to find a horse. I think I should have a place that will suit your needs."

Beckoning Joe to follow her to the stables, Ahim found one of the horsemen to fetch a horse for them.

"Where exactly are we going?" Joe asked warily.

Ahim only smiled as the horseman drew up to them on the horse. "You'll find out."

The coachman got off from the horse to help Ahim onto the horse, but Joe was quicker. Grasping the reins, he held out his hand for Ahim.

"If you need help that is," he said, not looking her in the eye.

Ahim smiled and reached out for his hand, "Thank you, Mr. Joe."

Only then did Joe feel it safe to look at the princess, "Of course," he said as he helped her on, sliding on behind her. With Ahim leaning on him for support, Joe was able to take full control of the reins. Feeling slightly shy, the two of them rode out of the castle, with the horse galloping powerfully down the beat, beating new tracks into the dirt.

Ahim gave Joe directions every so often while Joe commanded the horse.

"Mr. Joe, we're almost there," Ahim told him. "Turn left at this thicket."

They entered a clearing that had smashed rubble scattered around.

"Is... is this place suitable, Mr. Joe?" Ahim asked him.

"Looks good enough," Joe answered as he got off from the horse. As he disembarked, he bumped into Ahim, causing her to lose her balance.

Screaming, she almost fell to the opposite side if Joe hadn't caught hold of her hand and pulled her towards him. However, he pulled a bit too hard and instead of straightening Ahim, she ended up falling towards him.

The two collided as Joe fell to the ground, providing a cushion for Ahim to land on.

Realizing her position, Ahim quickly crawled off of him, apologizing profusely.

"I am so sorry, Mr. Joe," Ahim said as she watched Joe wince slightly. "Does it hurt terribly?"

Joe groaned, "Just let me rest for a while."

"Of course," Ahim tied the horse down near a place it could graze before she sat with a worried expression on her face. Her head was down in regret.

Sensing her sadness, Joe looked at the princess. Lifting his hand up to her hair, he gently patted her on the head, "It wasn't your fault," he said.

"But..."

"Ahim, it wasn't your fault," Joe repeated, as his hand went back down. Pushing himself off of the ground, Joe sat up, taking in his surroundings.

"Where are we?" he asked her.

Taking hold of Joe's hand, Ahim got up and led him over to the cliff, where they could see the remains of a now-desecrated kingdom.

Joe breathed in deeply, "This is..."

"This is the remains of the fallen kingdom," Ahim explained to him. "Once a flourishing land, it is said that they incurred the wrath of the Zangyack kingdom fifteen years ago."

Joe's face turned passive, "Did you know anyone there?"

Ahim blushed, tightening her grip on Joe's hand. "I knew the prince there. Since our kingdoms were close, we became playmates at an early age."

Joe nodded, staring at the ruins and remaining silent.

"Do you know what happened to the prince?" Joe asked her.

Ahim shook her head, "I have not seen him since the month before the kingdom fell. If he was alive today, I am certain that I would have been arranged to marry him instead."

"Instead?" Joe raised an eyebrow. "Instead of what?"

Ahim's voice turned quiet, "The Zangyack prince is forcing my father to allow me to be married to him. Although my father stalled for time by telling him that he should have asked the emperor first, we are not certain whether the emperor will allow the marriage or not."

Letting go of Joe's hand, Ahim lowered her head, "You and Ms. Luka were hired to teach me how to defend myself if such a possibility occurred that I would have to enter his twisted family."

Joe crossed his arms, absorbing the information he had just heard. His eyes were not focused; instead they seemed to be remembering something. The wind surged as it buffeted both of their hair, though Joe did not notice it.

"Ahim," Joe began. "Do you think you would've been happy with the prince?"

Ahim looked up at Joe, "I would like to think if he had been alive today, he would make a fine suitor."

Joe's mouth gave a small twitch as he turned away from the ruins. "It's a good spot," he said in way of thanks to Ahim.

Ahim stared at him from the back, "Mr. Joe," she asked him. "Is there anything wrong? You seem... distracted at the moment."

"Nothing is wrong," Joe said as he drew his sword. "Come on, let's practice."

* * *

**Sorry for the delay! NYC was wonderful, but spending my Canada Day in La Guardia Airport was annoying :( We'll be back to Monday updates next week!**

** Kinda slow still? Sorry, but we're seeing them move forward in a romantic sense at least? I dunno, I've been reading a lot of slice of life, so it's easier for me to do something with some ground in real life... does that make sense? In any case, I didn't want to throw out a random "I LOVE YOU!" all of a sudden, because it wouldn't make sense to anyone right? **

** But we've seen them go on horseback riding, Joe's comforting Ahim with the pat on the head. That counts as progress, right? And some lovely hand-holding too as well as some opening up with some secrets :D**

** So as always thanks to Pearl and Lisa for editing this, as well as you for reading! For those that subscribed, favourited, read and reviewed, THANK YOU~**

** I do like reviews LOL, they let me know what people are thinking of the story :P So please, read and review!**


	5. Fifth Day: Openings

**Fifth Day: Openings**

* * *

Ahim de Famille entered into her father's dining chamber, knocking twice before bowing.

"You wanted to see me, Father_?_" she asked.

The king looked at his daughter with compassionate eyes, "Yes, my dear. How goes your training?"

He gestured for Ahim to take a seat and join him for breakfast.

"It goes well at the moment. On the first day, I did not know if this was the right decision however," Ahim admitted.

The king buttered his toast, "And now?"

Ahim looked at her father, "I believe that it was a suitable decision to make under the circumstances."

Her father laughed at her answer, "Ever the diplomat. Just like your dear mother," he said in a quiet rueful tone.

"By the way," the king said casually. "One of the gardeners noticed that you returned on horseback with one of the instructors yesterday. Was it Mr. Joe or Ms. Luka?"

Ahim felt her face redden, "Yesterday, Mr. Joe said that swordsmen would not always fight on such ideal terrain as our courtyard. Thus, we rode out to the cliff near the fallen kingdom."

"I see," the king remarked. "And your new garments?"

Ahim fingered the baggy pants she had grown accustomed to wearing over the past two days. "Both my instructors agreed that it would be better to wear something more practical for my lessons."

"I have no wish to argue with your instructors," said the king. "As I recall, I left the lessons up to them."

"So you did, Father," Ahim agreed. "Um... if I may..."

"Hmm? What is it?"

"Father, what happened to the fallen kingdom?" Ahim asked.

The king thought hard, "I think you already know the answer to your question, Ahim."

Ahim shook her head, "I meant, what happened to the people."

The king sighed, "I believe most of them were murdered, if not sold into slavery. Very few survived."

"And what of the royal family?"

The king remained pensive before he spoke again, "I know that they were all killed... however, there was a rumour that the prince was sold into slavery... and later, another rumour that he began a pirate..."

"A pirate?" repeated Ahim.

"A pirate," confirmed the king. "Well, it is all just speculation and rumours at this point. Nothing certain."

"I see..." Ahim placed down her cup of tea. "Father, please excuse me. It is almost time for my morning lesson."

"Of course," the king smiled at his daughter. "Good luck."

"I shall do my best."

* * *

Joe walked down the dark corridors of the castle, lost in his thoughts. Thinking back to yesterday, he realized that he had enjoyed spending the time away from the castle with Ahim, even if it was to train.

Even if some of the time wasn't spent training, he mused to himself.

However, his thoughts turned towards the fallen kingdom. No one was there to remember them in this kingdom, no one had escaped here, he thought.

Walking out into the sunshine, he headed towards the gate, intending to walk out to village to grab some things before he headed to his final destination... though how he was going to pay for them, he had no idea.

Midway to the gate, Joe heard footsteps drawing nearer to him at a quick pace. Turning around, he saw Ahim rushing towards him.

"Ahim," he said to her in greeting.

"Good morning, Mr. Joe," she said as she caught up to him. "Where are you going?"

Joe continued walking, "To the marketplace."

"Why?"

Joe thought about his answer for a while, "There's something that I need to do."

"Um... Mr. Joe," Ahim began shyly. "Would you mind if I accompanied you?"

Joe stopped and stared at the princess, who was staring at him in the eye, slowly reddening. "Don't you have class with Luka today?" he asked her, hoping to find a way to dissuade her from coming.

"It's okay!"

Joe and Ahim looked up at the balcony, where they saw a lazy Luka sprawled over the balustrade. She waved at them tiredly.

"Luka!" Joe shouted at her. "You're going to fall!"

"Yes, Ms. Luka," added Ahim. "Be careful."

"Don't worry, don't worry," Luka waved their concerns away. "I'm good."

Ahim looked unconvinced, while Joe asked her, "What do you mean, 'It's okay,' Luka?"

Luka smiled slyly from above, "Exactly what I said, it's okay for Ahim to go with you."

"Doesn't she have lessons with you?" Joe called up.

"We can switch sessions if you want," Luka answered.

"But..."

"Mr. Joe," Ahim quietly interrupted him. "Do you not want me to go with you?"

Joe struggled internally with himself, until he relented. "Alright," he said finally. "You can come along."

Ahim bowed, "I promise I will not get in your way."

Joe shrugged, and then said, "You can change into a dress if you want."

Ahim looked hesitantly at Joe, unwilling to cooperate.

"It's not a trap," Joe clarified. "I said that you could come along. I won't leave you behind."

"Then..." Ahim smiled before she bowed again. "Just give me ten minutes."

Joe waited until Ahim was back into the castle and out of earshot before he turned his attention back to Luka, who had watched the interaction with interest.

"What?" he asked her bluntly.

"Nothing," Luka ignored the question. "Oh, by the way, you don't need to bring her back on time."

Joe's eyes narrowed, trying to figure out what Luka was insinuating. However, before he could ask her, Luka disappeared back into her bedchamber.

Joe shook his head in disbelief, "That was annoying."

* * *

As Joe and Ahim walked into the bustling marketplace, many of the townspeople who recognized the princess started whispering. Ahim was dressed in a gorgeous pink and white dress, carrying a small bag and a parasol on top, the epitome of a princess. Cries of "Princess" were heard as some of them that passed by her bowed or took off their hats.

Children gathered around her, presenting her with small bouquets of flowers picked up from fields. Ahim thanked them all, accepting them happily. She constantly looked at Joe's face to gauge his emotions, but it showed nothing, even as the children constantly pestered him with questions.

"Where are you from? What are you doing here? Are you Princess Ahim's boyfriend?"

At the last question, Ahim tried to act as she though she wasn't paying attention, while straining her ears to hear Joe's answer.

"I'm just her sword instructor," was the answer that Joe offered them.

"Is he strong, Princess?" one of the boys asked her.

Ahim smiled, "Mr. Joe is very strong."

When the children has dispersed, Joe stopped in front of Navi's bar. "Ahim, first stop," he announced.

"A bar?" asked Ahim in surprise.

"Just to get some alcohol," Joe explained. "Do you want to come in?"

"I have never been inside of a bar before," Ahim admitted.

"It's nothing to be scared about," Joe consoled her as they walked into the bar.

"Joe!"

Joe saw Marvelous wave him over from the bar counter. Right beside him were a stack of unclean plates.

"Marvelous!" Joe walked over to him, while Ahim followed meekly behind him.

Taking in the sight of plates, Joe asked him, "Has Luka found out about your debt yet?"

Marvelous grimaced, "Yeah," he said, pointing to a bruise on his left cheek. "I got this from her yesterday."

"She was here yesterday?" Joe asked in surprise.

"Oh yeah," Marvelous said as he took another bite out of his food. "Came in the afternoon. Said you were doing lessons with the princess."

"Yeah, I was," Joe said looking back at Ahim, who still seemed timid.

Marvelous peered over Joe's shoulder, "Is that her?" he asked him.

"Who else would it be?" Navi said as he popped out of kitchen with Doc in tow. Taking off his hat, he bowed to her. "Welcome to my humble bar."

Ahim bowed back, "The pleasure is all mine, Mr. Navi."

"Ah!" Doc finally caught onto who Ahim was, and hurried to bow. "It's the princess!"

Ahim giggled as she bowed again, "It is also my pleasure..."

"His name is Doc," Joe offered.

Doc let out a shout of protest, "Hey! That's just what you guys call me!" Turning to address Ahim, he said, "My real name is Don Dogogier, but they all call me Doc because I'm the ship's carpenter and doctor..."

Doc's voice trailed off when he realized that he had revealed too much.

"From your pirate ship?" Ahim asked innocently.

"EHHH?!" Doc and Marvelous looked at her increduously. "How do you know?"

"We... sorta... had to tell her," Joe admitted.

"Well, there's no point hiding it anymore to her," Marvelous said. "I'm Marvelous, Captain of the GokaiGalleon."

"It is nice to meet you too. Thank you for allowing Ms. Luka and Mr. Joe to teach me," Ahim told him.

"We just needed money," Marvelous answered.

"So Joe," all the attention turned back to the bartender. "What brings you here?"

"I need a bottle of liquor that'll last long outdoors," Joe told him. "And some information."

Navi raised an eyebrow, "It'll cost you."

Joe matched him, "Put it on my tab."

"All the same, you pirates," Navi chortled as he slid into his cellar.

"Mr. Joe," Ahim looked up at him, "Why do you need alcohol?"

"You'll find out," Joe said as he waited for Navi to return.

When he finally came back, Navi slammed a dusty bottle of a brown liquor down onto the counter. "1,200 zagins," he quoted.

"Put it on my tab," Joe repeated, reaching out for the bottle.

"No, no, Joe," Navi kept the bottle out of reach. "This one is special, I want money for it now."

"I don't have money," Joe reminded him.

"Here," Ahim slid a few coins over. "Is this enough?"

An awkward silence fell over the bar as Navi took the money and pocketed it. "Thank you for your patronage," he mumbled.

"Information, Navi," Joe said again.

"Right," Navi brushed his hands together. "What do you need to know?"

"I need a good flower shop and a carpenter's shop."

Navi looked at Joe, but said nothing. Taking a quill, he wrote down the addresses on a scrap of paper and handed it to him.

Thanking Navi, Joe left with Ahim following him.

Navi returned back to the kitchen, "Who would've thought, a princess and a pirate."

* * *

By the time, Joe had gotten everything he needed, half the morning was gone. Instead of the beautiful sunshine that they had enjoyed earlier, dark clouds were now rolling in.

Like what had happened previously, Ahim had been adored by her people, slowing down their progress.

"I am truly sorry for the delay," Ahim said as they walked through a familiar path. "Would you like me to hold something for you?"

"I'm fine," Joe replied. "It's what a man does."  
"But I feel bad for slowing you down, allow me to make it up to you," insisted Ahim.

Joe stopped walking and handed Ahim the bouquet of roses they had acquired from the shop that Navi had recommended. The shopkeeper was adamant about giving them to Ahim for free, although Ahim had tried to pay.

"No, no!" the florist had said to her. "I couldn't possibly even think about taking payment from my princess."

The same thing had happened at the carpenter's, where the old carpenter had been more than glad to oblige to Joe's simple task of two small beams of wood, one two-thirds smaller than the other, and a ball of string.

"Hold the flowers for me then," Joe said as he started to walk again.

After another few minutes, Ahim finally recognized the path, "Mr. Joe, are we travelling to the same place I took you yesterday?"

Joe grunted, "I just needed to do something there."

At last they reached the cliff that overlooked the fallen kingdom. Overhead, they could hear the distant thunder as the clouds rumbled.

"We're going to have to do this quickly then," Joe murmured. Moving near the edge of the cliff, Joe sat down and tied the two beams of wood together, creating a cross. Securing them tightly, he poked holes into the ground, loosening the dirt before he jabbed the cross into the earth.

Taking out the liquor that he had acquired from Navi, he uncorked the bottle and splashed the cross with half of its content. The scent of fermenting yeast filled the air as Joe took a swig of the drink before replacing the stopper and setting the bottle right beside the cross.

"Ahim," Joe called out as he turned around only to find Ahim observing him with interest. "The flowers, please."

Handing him the flowers, Ahim sat down onto the grass, taking care not to stain her dress. "Mr. Joe, are you making a memorial?" she asked the swordsman, who had now closed his eyes, as though meditating.

Joe said nothing, and continued to keep his eyes closed. Uncertain, Ahim reached out to touch his shoulder, only to feel slight shaking coming from his body.

"Mr. Joe, what's wrong?" Ahim asked with her hand still placed on his shoulder.

Joe opened his eyes, and with his back turned towards the princess, he spoke, "I made a memorial for the people of the fallen kingdom."

"Did you... did you know anyone there?"

"Yeah," offered Joe. "I used to live there when I was young."

Ahim recoiled slightly at the news, but Joe grabbed onto her hand, needing it for emotional support. "I was born and raised there. I was taught everything I know now about swordsmanship by my instructor there."

"What happened to him?"

"He died protecting me," Joe said emotionlessly. "My parents died too when the Zangyack kingdom attacked the kingdom."

Ahim wrapped her arms around Joe, "Were you scared when you were alone?"

"I was," Joe answered as he held on tightly to her hands. A small tear started to form in his eyes. "I had no one to rely on."

"And now?" Ahim whispered.

Joe smiled gently, "I have my crew."

Ahim released her hold on Joe as she heard the roar of the thunder come closer. Joe looked up, "I think it's nearly time for your lesson with Luka."

Helping Ahim up, Joe held onto Ahim's hands, squeezing them firmly. Looking at his face, Ahim noticed that he had been crying. Producing a handkerchief from her bag, she offered it to Joe, who refused it.

"It's okay," he said, looking at the sky. Small raindrops started to splash onto his face, covering his tears.

Ahim opened her parasol and held it up to cover the two of them. Leaning in closer to Joe, she wiped his face dry. Joe looked down at the princess, who was staring at him intently.

"I wish that you would depend on me too, Joe," she whispered as she kissed him on the cheek.

* * *

**Am I late? I hope not, but in my defense, we had a big power outage and everything so I didn't get back power until 9 minutes to 12. Fifth Day! Almost to the end of the week! But we've finally seen some more romance? :D Yes? Too fast? Too slow? Just right? Leave a review behind :) So Ahim's been following Joe, Joe's built a memorial for his fellow people and Ahim kisses him on the cheek. Das cuuteee ;D**

** Thank you to all those that reviewed and read the previous chapter :D As always, your feedback was most appreciated :D And thank you to Pearl and Lisa for editing :D **

** Once again, reviews are most appreciated and helpful, as well as encouraging :D**


	6. Sixth Day: Conflict

**Sixth Day: Conflict**

* * *

Luka watched as Ahim raised her pistol up, taking careful aim.

"Whenever you're ready, Ahim" Luka said, yawning.

Ahim nodded and pulled the trigger, shooting her bullet straight into the centre of the target.

"Nice shot!" Luka congratulated Ahim. "You're getting really good at this."

"Thank you, Ms. Luka," Ahim bowed.

Overhead, the sun was shining and there was a cool breeze that came every now and then. It seemed to be like a perfect day.

"Ms. Luka," Ahim addressed her instructor while reloading her weapon. "Where is Mr. Joe?"

Luka shrugged, "Not his turn to teach yet."

"No, it is not that," Ahim fiddled with her tools, unsure of how to phrase her question. "I did not see him at breakfast this morning."

"Oh that," Luka thought aloud. "He probably went off of the castle grounds again. Training as usual."

"Does he always do this? Even aboard your ship?" Ahim asked curiously.

"Yeah. He's quite dedicated actually," Luka admitted.

"But he did not do it yesterday," Ahim told her. "He still ate breakfast with us, and left afterwards."

"Probably trains in the morning now, so he doesn't disturb anyone in the palace," Luka replied.

"But... we did not train yesterday," Ahim said quietly.

Luka stopped what she was doing and stared at the princess, "You didn't?!"

"No, Ms. Luka, we did not," Ahim repeated.

"Well... What did you do?" Luka was flabbergasted.

"We went to the marketplace first to buy flowers, alcohol and wood. Afterwards, we went to a cliff that I showed Mr. Joe that overlooked the fallen kingdom," recalled Ahim.

Luka nodded sagely, "Then you know now that Joe is a survivor from that place."

Ahim nodded, "Mr. Joe told me after he had created a memorial for his people."

"Don't worry about it," Luka consoled her. "If he told you, he must trust you. Besides, he'll be back for your afternoon classes with him. He's probably walking back to the castle now.

"Now, enough moping about," Luka said clapping her hands together. "Let's see you shoot again."

"Yes, Ms. Luka," Ahim finished reloading her pistol. Just as she was about to shoot, they heard distant fanfare coming from the gates.

"Another guest?" Ahim wondered aloud while she hurried to assist her father with greeting the arriving guests.

Reaching her father, she looked at his face and saw a mixture of emotions on it. Fearing for the worse, Ahim turned her gaze at the arriving carriages and saw two sets of flags... one bearing the black coat of arms of the Zangyack Kingdom and the other bearing the red insignia of a envoy from the emperor.

Finally catching up to Ahim, Luka noticed the king and remained a respectful distance from Ahim in case the situation called for it. Ensuring that her rifle was loaded and ready, Luka stood on guard, ready to protect her charge.

As the carriages slowed down and stopped in front of the steps leading to Ahim and her father, foot guards were already walking forward to open the door for the guests.

"Presenting, His Highness, Prince Warz Gil, Prince of the Zangyack Kingdom!" the royal messenger announced as Warz Gil descended from the carriage, followed by his bodyguard, Barizorg.

Warz Gil's carriage moved on, and the second carriage stopped behind him.

"Presenting, His Lordship, Lord Takeru Shiba, advisor to the Red Emperor," announced the royal messenger, as a man dressed in red robes and carrying a strange looking sword disembarked from his carriage.

The trio walked up to the king and bowed, while Ahim and the king bowed as well.

"What news do you bring, Lord Shiba?" the king asked warmly. Takeru was the cousin of the captain of his guard, Captain Shiba Kaoru. Having watched the two of them grow up, Takeru was not a stranger to the king and his family.

"Your Majesty, the Emperor deigns to allow this union take place, only under these conditions," Takeru said, withdrawing a scroll from within his robes.

"The ceremony is to take place in the attendance of a representative of the Red Emperor," he read. "Under the wish of the Red Emperor, it is his desire that the wedding shall take place tomorrow, at midday."

Takeru rolled up the scroll, and looked at both the king and Warz Gil. "Do any of you object?"

The king could only shake his head slowly, while Warz Gil was ecstatic.

"Very well," Takeru beckoned to the king, "Your Majesty, is there a private place where we can talk?"

The king looked at Takeru and nodded, "Right this way, Lord Shiba."

"Princess Ahim," Warz Gil said as soon as the king was out of earshot. "I can finally rest easy now, knowing that you will be married to me soon."

"Rest easy?" Ahim asked weakly.

"Yes," Warz Gil clasped his hands together. "Tomorrow! And finally, our kingdoms will be united."

"Y-yes," Ahim said looking back, her eyes pleading Luka for help. But Luka could only shake her head. Turning back to face Warz Gil, she saw a familiar figure walking towards them. Breaking away from Warz Gil, she greeted the figure.

"Mr. Joe!" she said as Joe came into sharper relief.

"Hoho," Luka chuckled as she watched the pair of them. Ahim was waiting expectantly at the top, while Joe moved swiftly past Warz Gil and Barizorg.

"Oi!" Warz Gil shook his fists indignantly at Joe. "What do you think you're doing?"

Joe raised an eyebrow and continued walking towards Ahim.

"You cur!" shouted Warz Gil. "How dare you not bow and pay your respects to me!"

Joe slowly laid his hand on his cutlass, "And you are...?"

"That's it!" Warz Gil screamed as his face turned red in anger. "Barizorg! Kill him!"

"No!" Ahim protested as Barizorg leaped over Warz Gil, sword drawn. Joe drew his cutlass and fell into his ready stance. The castle attendants scrambled away, anxious to flee the scene.

"Luka," Joe called back. "Get Ahim out of the way."

Luka nodded and grabbed Ahim back, while Joe dashed forward to engage Barizorg. Surprisingly, both of their bladework looked similar. Joe widened his eyes in surprise as he tried another attack only to have both of their swords put into a lock.

"That style," he whispered. "It can't be...!"

Unlocking their blades, Joe tried one more overhead slash, but he was kicked in the stomach by Barizorg. Tumbling away, he clutched at his stomach as he got up.

"Is that you?" he called out to Barizorg. "Is that you, Sid Bammick?!"

Barizorg gave no response as he rushed into the fray again, slashing fiercely at Joe.

"Answer me!" Joe shouted, losing his composure. "Why do you know Sid Bammick's style?!"

"Sid Bammick?" Warz Gil said loudly as he mockingly pretended to think. "Oh that's right, there was a prisoner that we captured from the fallen kingdom."

"You bastard!" Joe glared at Warz Gil, who paid him no attention.

"We forced him to teach everything he knew to Barizorg," Warz Gil went on. "And after he had lived out his usefulness, we... killed him."

Joe's face crumpled as his emotions swirled within in. Maliciously, Warz Gil called out for Barizorg to end the battle.

"Now, Barizorg!" commanded Warz Gil. "Kill him!"

"Mr. Joe!" screamed Ahim in terror as she watched Barizorg approach Joe from behind, ready to impale him with his sword.

At the sound of Ahim's voice, Joe snapped out of his self-pity, blocking the blade in the nick of time.

"You killed my teacher," Joe said quietly, as he pushed Barizorg away. "You killed Sid Bammick!"

Running and jumping up past Warz Gil, he landed lightly on his feet in front of Ahim.

"Princess Ahim," he said, his voice calm with a hint of anger still underneath it. "May I borrow your sword?"

Ahim nodded fearfully as she drew her rapier and presented it to Joe, who bowed once and took it.

Turning away, he was stopped by a small tug at the back of his jacket. He looked back, and saw Ahim looking up at him.

"Be careful, Mr. Joe," Ahim whispered.

Joe nodded, and returned to the battle brandishing both his swords, passing by Warz Gil without bowing, further infuriating him again.

"Barizorg!" he yelled. "Finish him off!"

"Yes, boss," Barizorg gave a quick salute with his sword and returned his focus back to Joe, who had descended back to the ground.

Joe dipped low to the ground and ran towards Barizorg rapidly, his two weapons held behind him. Gripping them tightly, he rose up and executed a cross-slash with both his swords against his opponent, who barely managed to block it. Coolly analysing the situation, he kicked away from Barizorg and regrouped. Composing his thoughts, he dashed again and jumped at Barizorg, sending a savage array of slashes at him from the air. Barizorg gave ground as Joe relentless pushed his attack, using his two swords to come in at different angles. High and low, left and right, horizontal and vertical, Joe moved like a dancer, revelling in the fight.

Ahim glanced at Luka, "Is Mr. Joe alright?"

Luka shook her head, "I don't know. This is the first time I've ever seen him lose his composure."

The two of them watched as Joe finally disarmed Barizorg, sending his sword flying into the sky and piercing the grass harmlessly. Nearby, the gardeners sighed with sadness as they thought of the work that would need to be done to repair the lawn.

"Mr. Joe!" Ahim ran down the stairs to him as Joe sheathed his sword, watching Barizorg with careful eyes, but Barizorg didn't get up. Satisfied that he had defeated him, Joe turned away and walked towards Ahim, who hugged him tightly.

"I am glad you are safe, Mr. Joe," Ahim whispered.

"I said I would be careful," Joe reminded her. He offered her back her rapier, "Thank you for your sword."

Ahim took it and placed it back into her scabbard.

"Damn you!" Both of them looked to see Warz Gil coming towards them, with Luka following at a distance, rifle primed. "Look what you did to my bodyguard! Who are you? I shall have you drawn and quartered!"

Ahim stepped in front of Joe, protecting him from Warz Gil. "That is not your decision to make, Prince Warz Gil."

Warz Gil narrowed his eyes at Ahim, "And whose decision would it be to make?"

"That would be mine," a voice thundered.

The four of them looked towards the castle doors to see the king return with Takeru at his side. "My daughter's instructor's life is not yours to take," he declared.

Warz Gil shook his fists furiously and screamed out expletives that were not fit for his princely title.

"Well then," Joe called out to the king, "Your Majesty, it is nearly time for the princess' second lesson. Would you be so kind to excuse us?"

"Of course," obliged the king. "Off you go."

"Thank you," Joe said bowing alongside Luka and Ahim.

"Hmm, that's quite a swordsman you have teaching your daughter, your Majesty," remarked Takeru. "Nearly matches up to Mako."

"Nearly?" the king scoffed genially. "I'd like to think that the instructor I hired is an equal match for your cousin and more than a match for your wife."

"Really?" Takeru's eyes glinted competitively. He primed his blade. "Now I want to fight him."

* * *

Footsteps echoed down the hallway as the three of them escorted Ahim down towards the stable.

"Joe, why are we going down to the stables?" Luka asked him.

"Because it'll be safer to talk there," answered Joe tersely.

Ahim looked at him questioningly but she did not speak up.

When they reached the stables, Joe turned to Ahim, "Can you find a horse for us again?"

"Are we going back to the cliff?" Ahim asked him.

"We are," Joe told her watching her as she walked away.

"What's going on?" Luka demanded.

"Doc and Marvelous already have the ship repaired and their debt to Navi paid off," Joe told her, hushing her as she began to get angry. "Calm down, I kept it a secret from you because I asked the king in private to give me daily fees."

"I hope you robbed him," Luka said crossly.

"Only around 10,000 zagins a day for the shipyard's cost of repairs," admitted Joe with a slight smile.

Luka sniffed, "Good enough," she said, still unhappy that she had been kept out of the plan.

"You happy now?" Joe said before he continued. "So, after we leave, go down to the bar and tell Marvelous to get ready, because we're leaving soon."

"Soon?"

Joe and Luka turned and saw that they had become too engrossed in their conversation to notice that Ahim had come back with a horse.

Joe sighed, and pointed his finger to Luka, who gave him a mock salute and departed from the stables.

"Be good, you two!" she added cheekily as she left.

"You are leaving soon, Mr. Joe?" Ahim asked him again.

Joe stepped towards Ahim and offered his hand to her as an answer. Ignoring the proffered hand, she repeated the question a third time, this time with finality. "You are leaving soon, are you not, Mr. Joe," she said sadly.

Joe nodded silently, unsure of what to say and slowly withdrew his hand. They stood in silence for a while, before Ahim bravely reminded Joe that she still required assistance onto the horse. Helping her up, Joe slid once again behind her as before.

It was a silent ride up to the cliff as both Ahim and Joe did not know to phrase their questions and shape their answers.

Finally arriving at their destination, Joe helped Ahim disembark from the horse, before tying the horse to a tree. He turned back to find Ahim at the grave they had created yesterday, her head bowed in respect.

"Where will you be going?" she asked him as she heard him approach.

Joe sat beside her, "I don't know."

"I will miss you, Mr. Joe," she said quietly, before she laughed. "Is it not funny, how quickly we have grown close?"

Joe shook his head, "It takes me back to my childhood," he said.

Ahim looked at him, "What do you mean?"

"I remember playing with you in the castle," Joe said. "Chasing you around the courtyard was one of my fondest childhood memories."

"But... it can't be," Ahim said softly. "We were not acquainted back then... Unless..."

Ahim grasped Joe's hands tightly, "Is it really you? Can it really be you, Joe Gibken?"

Joe Gibken, former prince and the last survivor of the Gibken Kingdom, smiled, "I'm back, Princess Ahim."

"It really is you!" Ahim rejoiced as she flung her arms around him. "Welcome back, Joe," she murmured.

"Joe," she asked him while they were still embracing. "Will you come back here?"

She pulled away from him, scanning his facial expression. "Will you come back to me?"

Joe didn't look at her when he replied, "We're too different now," he told her. "You're still a princess and I'm a pirate."  
"I do not care if you are a pirate, Joe-kun," Ahim argued. "Will you come back to me?"

Again, Joe avoided answering her, "I never swore an oath of loyalty to you, Ahim-sama."

Ahim pulled on his shirt, bringing his face millimeters away from hers. "It is not loyalty that I want from you," she said fiercely as she pressed her lips onto his.

Breaking away, Joe still wouldn't look her in the eyes, "It is all up to Marvelous if we come back," he said half-truthfully.

"Besides, I kept my identity a secret from you for all this time, how could you trust me?" Joe asked her.

"You did not know if you could trust me first, Joe," Ahim acknowledged. "But over time, you began to open up to me."

Joe looked at Ahim for the first time, "Do you trust me?" he asked as their faces drew closer again.

This time, Ahim was the one being evasive, "I want you to trust me," she said as she closed her eyes, kissing Joe once more.

* * *

**Wow. Yeah, when I was writing this chapter, I was just really, really excited about this. This was going to be the, you know, confirm and reveal all chapter of most of the mysteries. Would the Emperor approve of the wedding, and what was going to happen between Ahim and Joe. Well, we can see that Ahim is pretty diplomatic, not explicitly saying what she wants from Joe, but she shows it in her actions. On Joe's side, he's the less willing to go with it, but we'll see how it works out in the end.**

** As always, thanks to those that reviewed, subscribed and favourited! Means a lot to me and your reviews are all encouraging, welcomed and allow me to see how you're enjoying the story :D**

** Thanks to Lisa and Pearl for editing as well :D I've owed them so much sushi for the past few years... I really need to treat them soon. SOON! SOON!**

** Please leave a review :D and constructive criticism is always welcomed :D**


	7. Seventh Day: Set Sail

**Seventh Day: Set Sail**

* * *

Joe looked around his room, checking one last time if he had packed up all his belongings. Today was the final day that he and Luka would be staying in the castle before they would return to Marvelous within the hour. Satisfied, Joe sat down on the bed, the mattress sinking.

"Joe," Ahim knocked on the door, announcing her presence. "May I come in?"

Joe nodded, beckoning her in. "Morning," he greeted her.

"Good morning," Ahim replied as she closed the door. "Did you sleep well last night?"

"As well as I could," Joe answered, a slight smile gracing his features.

"Excuse me," another knock on the door. "Joe-san, have you seen the princess?"

Joe looked over at Ahim, who shook her head, imploring him not to reveal the truth to the servant outside.

"No, I haven't seen her this morning," Joe lied.

"Well, I'll check Ms. Luka's room," the servant said. "Thank you, Mr. Joe."

Joe waited for the footsteps to fade before commenting to Ahim, "She won't find Luka there. She's gone to the king to ask for our wages."

Ahim giggled, leaning against Joe.

"Why were they looking for you?" Joe asked her. "They never did this before."

Ahim looked down sadly, "I have not explained to you what occurred yesterday?"

Joe shook his head, waiting for her story.

"Luka-san found out yesterday, when the Zangyack prince came to visit," Ahim began, noticing Joe's knuckles tighten around the hilt of his cutlass. "The Zangyack prince has forced me to marry him. Today at midday will be the ceremony."

"But..." Joe looked lost. "The Red Emperor!"

"The Red Emperor has allowed the marriage," Ahim informed him in a soft tone. "Lord Takeru Shiba arrived with his seal of approval."

"Lord Takeru Shiba?" Joe frowned, trying to remember why the name sounded so familiar to him.

"Captain Kaoru Shiba's cousin," Ahim prompted him. "He is the Red Emperor's advisor."

"So..." Joe pieced it all together. "The servants are looking for you because you should be getting ready?"

"That is why I think they are looking for me as well," Ahim admitted. "But... I do not want to be married to the Zangyack Prince!

"His father is a tyrant! I fear that he may turn my kingdom into a dictatorship," Ahim said worriedly. "That is why... I want to run away with you."

Joe looked at her in disbelief, but Ahim continued to plead with him, "Please Joe, I beg of you!"

"This won't work," Joe argued. "You're a princess and I'm a pirate."

"I do not care!" Ahim said with more conviction. "I would rather to be the bride of a pirate than the wife of that oppressor!"

Joe looked at her for a while before he took her hand. "Princess Ahim," he began. "Nothing would please me more than to bring you aboard the galleon.

"But, you have a duty to your kingdom and if you're not there, who's going to protect it? I don't want Kingdom de Famille go down like Kingdom Gibken."

"But-"

Joe pressed a finger to her lips, "Which is more important? One man's life or your entire kingdom?"

Ahim bent her head, attempted to hide her tears from Joe. She understood full well that Joe had not intended to hurt her, but he had made the logical choice.

"Very well," she said tearfully. "I will do what I must to protect my kingdom."

Joe lifted up Ahim's face, gently wiping away her tears with his finger. "You will make a great queen," he told her quietly. "Don't forget about me."

"I never will," vowed Ahim, kissing her pirate.

* * *

"I must thank you for the lessons you have bestowed upon my daughter."

The king was seated on his throne, Ahim standing dutifully at his side. Luka and Joe were in front of the king, basking in the king's praise and thanks.

"It was a pleasure to teach Ahim," responded Luka, ignoring decorum as usual. "Wasn't it, Joe?" she asked as she elbowed Joe.

"It was indeed a pleasure to mentor Princess Ahim," Joe said, glaring daggers at Luka. He turned back to the king, watching Ahim through the corner of his eye. She had been crying previously before the king had called them down to the throne room to officially say goodbye, that much he could tell. Her head was lowered, unwilling to face either of the pirates in front of her.

"Ahim," the king said, looking over at his daughter. "Should you not personally thank both of them?"

"Y-yes, Father_," _she said as she descended towards them. Going to Luka first, she hugged the other woman, thanking for all of her help. Genuinely touched, Luka hugged her back, saying that she would be proud to call herself Ahim's marksmanship teacher. Breaking off the embrace, she moved onto Joe, flushing deep red.

"Joe," she whispered, managing to keep herself from being heard by her father. Luka, on the other hand, pretended not to hear, watching carefully through her peripheral vision.

"I wish you did not have to go," she said as she grasped his hands in hers, using her back to keep it hidden from her father. "I wish that we had more time together.

"But most of all, I wish that we could be together," she murmured softly that Luka could barely hear the words. She looked up and saw that Joe was looking at her intensely before he nodded and whispered, "So do I."

Ahim indulged for a few more seconds before she let go, returning to her father's side.

"Well then," the king clapped his hands together. "You are dismissed!"

"Thank you, your Majesty," Luka and Joe said in unison as they left the throne room. As soon as they had stepped out and the doors had closed, Luka punched Joe in the arm.

"What was that?" she hissed.

Joe decided to play dumb, "What was what?"

"Don't give me that crap!" Luka fumed. "I saw you two back there! I've been noticing it the whole damn time we were here! What's going on with you and Ahim?"

With the cat of the bag, Joe decided to come clean, "I knew her before we came here," he explained. "She was my childhood friend when I still lived in my kingdom."

Luka nodded, "Doesn't explain all the romance though."

"That came when I began to teach her. At first, I didn't think that she would feel the same way, but slowly, she broke through my shell."

"And now she's getting married to an idiot," sighed Luka.

"Yeah," agreed Joe dejectedly. He perked up a bit as he remembered the earlier events of the morning. "She wanted to join our crew, you know."

"Really? She did?" Luka looked delighted at the idea. "Well, why isn't she coming?"

"She has a duty," Joe reminded her. "She knows that she can't risk the destruction of her kingdom... just because of me."

"Well," Luka said thoughtfully. "I wonder.

"No point thinking about it now. Let's get back to the bar and see how much we owe Navi now."

* * *

Navi's eyes bulged as he saw Luka dump down a sackful of coins onto his bar counter.

"You really did it," he said as he ran his hands through the coins.

Luka crossed her arms and glared at Marvelous, " We would've had more if someone wasn't always being a glutton."

"Hey!" Marvelous protested. "Only at meal times."

Luka slapped him, causing him to clutch at his cheek in pain before she sat down beside him.

"By the way," she commented as she took the tankard of beer that Navi poured for her. "Joe has an interesting proposition for you."

"Huh," Marvelous looked over at Joe, who was staring outside the window, looking towards the castle. "What do you want?"

"Ahim wants to join us," Joe told him bluntly.

"Ahim?" Doc scrambled over to Joe. "You mean the princess?"

"Who else could it be?" Luka asked him, finishing her drink. "Apparently, those two," she waggled her finger at Joe, "had something going on."

Marvelous strode over to Joe, "So what's stopping you?"

"She's getting married today," Joe said.

"And?"

"She can't leave with us," Joe added.

"Because?"

"Because if she does, her kingdom is going to fall!" Joe shouted at him. "Her kingdom is going to be attacked by the Zangyack Kingdom if she doesn't marry the prince, I'm sure of it!"

"So?"

"So?" Joe repeated back to him. "Have you not been listening to what I've been saying?"

"A little bit, dozed off here and there," Marvelous drawled nonchalantly.

Outraged at his captain, Joe threw a punch at Marvelous, who caught it deftly.

"Here's what I think," Marvelous said as he let go. "I think you want her to come with us. I think you want her to be with you.

"But you can't, because you're thinking about duty," Marvelous' gaze softened a little. "You make a great first mate like that. And that's what you are right now; a pirate. Not the prince of Kingdom Gibken. Not a slave. You're a pirate now."

"But the kingdom-" Joe protested.

"What about it?" Marvelous asked him airily. "The princess knew what she was asking for when she came to you to ask to join us."

"It'll be destroyed!"

Marvelous gained a strange gleam in his eyes, "Not if we get the Zangyack Kingdom first."

Joe stared at him in disbelief as he absorbed the full meaning of his words.

"You want... to attack the Zangyack Kingdom before they attack Kingdom de Famille?" he asked him weakly.

"Well... not the kingdom," Marvelous scratched his head before returning to his seat. "Maybe just the royal family. Or the entire court."

"You're mad," Joe said as he fought off a smile.

"I'm Marvelous," the pirate captain retorted. "So what'll it be? Save the princess, kick some butt, all's well that ends well?"

Joe was still uneasy, giving Navi ample time to pitch in his thoughts.

"I believe that we're all cowards in the end," he said thoughtfully as he cleaned a tankard. "We go around, asking people for permission to do what we're afraid to do. Therefore..."

He brought out a leather cup and five wooden cubes, "Shall we let Lady Luck decide?"

Navi tipped his dice into the cup and shook it on the table before lifting it up, revealing three stacked cubes. "This is called cube stacking, taken from a far away land. Shall we say, if I am able to get all five cubes stacked, you'll go and chase after the girl?"

Joe stepped away from the window, sitting down in front of Navi, "Let's play."

The crew watched as Navi swept all of the cubes underneath the cup, listening to the rattling of the cubes as they jostled and scrambled beneath.  
_If they stack, then we'll take her with us,_ Joe thought in his mind. _If they don't, then we'll set sail on the first sound of the bell._

Joe watched Navi shake the cup more intensely, increasing his speed.

_Come on... Come on... Stack!_ Joe willed the cubes.

"Joe," Navi said, snapping Joe out of his trance. Joe looked up at Navi, who smiled and leaned back. "Do you have the courage now?"

Joe looked at Navi, slowly returning his smile. Turning towards the rest of his crew members, he asked them, "Will you help me?"

Grinning, Luka cocked her rifle, while Marvelous drew his own sword. Doc ran into the kitchen and hurried back out, revealing two pistols of his own design.

Together, they left the bar, dust in their wake, ready to get the newest member of their crew.

Watching them leave with a satisfied look on his face, Navi lifted the cup up, revealing the contents underneath.

"Luck is a fickle woman," he whispered, "She'll be with you, until you've nothing left for her.

"But Courage is the one who cares for you. She'll be the one to help you find happiness. Good luck, Gokai-Pirates!"

* * *

The pirate crew ran up the path towards the church, following the sound of the bells as they began to ring. As a slightly mourning tone echoed across the kingdom, Joe and the rest of the pirates pushed even further to make it in time.

"Stop."

A rapier was thrust at a distracted Joe who narrowly managed to avoid it. Unfortunately, he had not timed his dodge well, and fell into the dust. Spitting, he looked up and saw Captain Kaoru Shiba pointing the tip of her sword right at his throat.

"So... the instructor comes to disrupt the wedding," she scoffed. "What do you think you're doing?"

Joe bit back an angry retort as he watched the rest of his crewmates become surrounded by Zangyack soldiers.

"What's going on here?" he asked, searching for answers.

"You mean them?" Kaoru pointed with her sword, before returning it back to Joe's throat. "The Zangyack prince wanted them here to prevent any troublemakers from showing up."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Joe replied.

Kaoru smirked, enjoying the ease she was afforded. "I'm sure you don't," she said as she withdrew her rapier to prepare for a piercing blow to the heart. "But I hope you don't mind if I kill you here."

"Over my dead body," snarled Joe.

"That's the point," Kaoru said as she drove her sword in...

Only to have Marvelous miraculously bat it aside with his own cutlass.

"Oh?" Kaoru looked surprised as she blocked Marvelous' counterattack. "Your friend wants to play?"

"I'll chop you into pieces, lady!" Marvelous said as he launched into a full-swing assault against Kaoru.

"Joe! Let's go!" Luka pulled Joe up from the ground as Marvelous and Doc covered for them. "We're leaving it up to you guys!" she called back to them.

"Save her, Joe!" Doc shouted as he shot a steady stream of bullets from his customized pistols.

Meanwhile, Kaoru had effortlessly defended herself from Marvelous watching Joe and Luka escape from the corner of her eyes.

"Now then," she said as she pushed Marvelous back with the force of her blow, disarming him. "Let's finish this off."

* * *

"Can't believe she would sell out to the Zangyack Kingdom like that," Joe muttered as they raced towards the church. Overhead, they heard the bells go off with increasing frequency, signalling the start of the wedding.

"Wait," Luka spotted something on Joe's belt and pulled it out. "What's this?"

"A letter?" Joe stopped momentarily, taking the letter from Luka. Unceremoniously opening it, he quickly scanned the contents of the letter before tossing it to Luka.

"Well that explains a lot," Luka said as she folded it and threw it back at Joe before continuing to run again.

Joe shook his head before following her, "Tell me about it."

* * *

The bells tolled overhead, as the doors to the church opened wide to admit Ahim de Famille, dressed in a beautiful wedding dress, with a silk veil covering her face. Carrying a pink bouquet of flowers and escorted by her father, she walked gracefully down the aisle. However, each one of the guests there could see that her heart was not really there as her face was tainted with sadness.

At the end of the aisle stood Warz Gil, flanked by Barizorg, who had managed a full recovery from the previous day. At the altar was a Zangyack holy man who fidgeted with his collar as he watched Ahim approach the prince.

Passing the pews in succession, the King looked over to the left and saw Takeru standing in his ceremonial dress, his sword at his side. Takeru nodded to the king, who seemed satisfied as he turned back towards the front.

Answering the holy man before giving away his daughter, the King glanced at his daughter's face. He leaned in to hug her, whispering softly in her ear, "Have faith my daughter. Everything will be alright."

Pulling back sombrely, he took his seat as the holy man began the ceremony.

_Hurry up_, he thought in his mind. _Hurry up before I've lied to my daughter._

* * *

Joe had just made it to the door with Luka in tow before he saw Ahim walk into the sanctuary with her father.

"Ah-!" he tried to call out before he lost his breath, but it was to no avail. Ahim had looked back but hadn't seen him.

"Damn it," he swore as he marched up to the doors, only to have another pair of guards bar him from entering.

"Leave, sir," they said as they pulled out their pistols embossed with the mark of the Zangyack kingdom.

"I will not," Joe stated quietly as he raised his cutlass.

The two of them fired at Joe, who managed to jump away, escaping death. Throwing away their pistols, they followed Joe out into the open area outside only to find nothing.

Withdrawing a knife each from a place of unhygienic proportions, the two of them leaned into a crouching position, like a jaguar ready to pounce on its chosen victim.

"Come out, fool," the bigger of the two called. "Come out so we can kill you."

Joe stepped out from the trees, sheathing his cutlass "Well, with an invitation like that, there's no way I can possibly refuse."

Grinning, the two of them pounced forward at Joe, who had still not drawn his sword again. So eager in their pursuit to murder him, they didn't notice Luka above in the branches.

"One should only shoot if they're willing to be shot at," Luka muttered as she fired.

Joe looked at the bodies of the guards as they dropped before nodding his thanks towards the woman above him.

"Don't waste your time," Luka called down. "You still gotta rescue the princess."

Joe nodded again, and turned towards the chapel.

* * *

"Do you, Warz Gil, Prince of the Zangyack Kingdom and its colonies, take Ahim de Famille, Princess of Kingdom de Famille, to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

Warz Gil nodded his head vigorously, "I do!"

The holy man turned over to Ahim, who was maintaining a strong face at this time. "Do you, Ahim de Famille, Princess of Kingdom de Famille, take-"

At this moment, the door was slashed open by an unearthly strength as Joe Gibken strode into the sanctuary, much to the surprise of the guests.

"You!" Warz Gil pointed his finger at Joe.

"Me," Joe said simply, ignoring the gasps as he continued to walk towards Ahim.

"Joe-kun!" Ahim picked up her dress and ran towards Joe. "I did not think you would be coming!"

"I made an oath, did I not?" he asked in front of the guests.

"Stop her!" Warz Gil cried out. From the Zangyack side of the guests, ceremonial swords were drawn and they surrounded Ahim.

"Ahim!" Joe called out as he broke through the flanks, reaching Ahim. He shuffled on his feet, batting away the swords that were aimed at him, while protecting Ahim.

"Damn you!" The swords were parted as Warz Gil stepped through. "Stay away from my wife!"

"She's not your wife yet," Joe said evenly.

"You bastard!" Warz Gil shouted angrily. "Who are you?!"

"I am Joe Gibken!" he announced. "Former prince of the Gibken Kingdom! First mate and swordsman of the Gokai-Galleon!

"I'm the one who's taking the princess," he added, as he swept Ahim up and tore through the disoriented Zangyack guests.

"Stop him! Come back here with her, you cur!"

"I think not."

Warz Gil looked over to the left to see Takeru jump over the other guests, drawing his sword. "You no longer have the jurisdiction to chase after him."

"Says who?!"

"Don't interfere!" Takeru said fiercely, causing several of the sword-wielding Zangyack guests to fall back in fear.

"You commoner! You're just an advisor to the Red Emperor! Who are you to tell me-" Warz Gil stopped as he felt the cold steel of Takeru's blade touch him.

"I told you not to interfere," he said menacingly.

From his seat, the king smiled. Soon, it would all end.

* * *

"Joe," Ahim started while Joe was running down the path with Luka behind him. "Ms. Luka. Thanks for saving me."

"We're not out of the woods yet," Luka said, somewhat ironically as they ran into the trees.

"Joe, where are we going?" Ahim asked as she looked around frantically.

Joe looked down at her, "Do you trust me?"

Ahim nodded, "Of course."

Reaching the mouth of a cave, Joe set her down gently. Nodding over to Luka, he took Ahim's hand and walked into the darkness.

* * *

**There's still the night.**


	8. Epilogue: Seventh Night

**Epilogue: Seventh Night**

* * *

"It's almost time."

Small crunching noises were heard in the darkness as footsteps stepped around in the cave.

"Is the ship ready?"

"It's been here since two hours ago."

"Then we go."

A splash and a small scraping noise echoed around the cave as the Gokai Galleon sailed out of the _other_ mouth of the cave Joe, Ahim, and Luka had taken refuge in. Waves rippled out gently as the ship cut through the water smoothly entering the lake.

Underneath the moon's bright light, two figures, one dressed in a modest dress, the other in a dark blue jacket, brown pants and boots, were distinguishable near the port side of the ship, leaning against the railing. In the crow's nest, a female using a telescope was searching around for their target.

"I see it," she called down. "Turn the ship twenty eight degrees, Marvelous."

"Got it, Luka," Marvelous said as he spun the wheel. "Doc! Loosen the sails!"

"Hold on!" Doc frantically run around the ship, attempting to use the moonlight to find his way around.

Ahim de Famille looked behind her and smiled at the crew, "It is a wonderful team you have, Joe," she commented to the person beside her.

Joe Gibken grunted, "They're alright."

Ahim de Famille smiled again, as her hand found Joe's. Squeezing it, she looked at the approaching flagship. Though she couldn't make it out in the darkness, she knew that it bore the Royal Standard of Kingdom de Famille.

"My father is punctual as always," she noted.

Joe nodded silently, unsure of what to say.

"Joe," Ahim said suddenly, remembering something. "You said at the church today, that you had sworn an oath."

Joe nodded again, thankful for the night that hid his blush.

"But... if I remember correctly," Ahim chided. "You did not swear any oath to me."

Joe shifted uncomfortably. "Maybe I thought I did," he stammered.

Ahim was about to press him further for more information, before Marvelous shouted out, "Aligning with flagship!"

Joe excused himself and left Ahim alone, joining with Doc as they secured the two ships together, tying down the ropes onto the poles. Throwing over their own ropes, the shipmen on the royal flagship did the same. Over the starboard side of the ship, a large splash could be heard as Marvelous freed the anchor to the ocean floor.

Having completed his task, Joe returned back to Ahim's side, mockingly bowing. "It is all ready, Princess Ahim," he teased her.

Ahim took it in stride, seriously replying, "I suppose it is time to meet with my father."

With the shipmen on the flagship preparing a walkway to bridge the gap between the ships, Joe opted for a Tarzan method. Twisting one of the ropes around his arm, he pulled Ahim close to him, wrapping his free hand around her waist. Ahim held on tightly as Joe swung over the distance, landing heavily onto the wooden deck of the flagship.

"That was exciting," Ahim beamed as Joe released her. "But once is enough for now."

Joe nodded, and looked back at the galleon. Spotting Luka coming down from the crow's nest and joining Marvelous and Doc on the port side railing where he and Ahim were, he turned his attention to his front where he saw the King coming out of his cabin.

"Ahim!" he cried out joyfully as Ahim ran towards him.

"Father_!"_ Ahim hugged her father tearfully. "I did not know what would happen when I left you."

"Yes," the king released her from the hug, as he gestured for Takeru to come forward. "It was all thanks to Lord Shiba here."

Joe stepped forward, "What do you mean?"

Takeru cleared his throat, "Perhaps your crewmates would also want to know the story?" he asked lightly, beckoning them over.

"Where did you get that saber and those clothes," Joe heard the king ask Ahim.

"Luka-san let me have them, but this is my saber that Joe-kun picked out of me since my first lesson."

The three of them crossed over the plank and joined Joe. "So what was this plan?" Luka asked.

Takeru unfurled the same scroll he had read the day earlier from the Red Emperor, while Luka craftily figured it all out.

"So you forgot to mention something that the Red Emperor had decreed," Luka surmised.

Takeru nodded, "The Red Emperor finds favour with me. When I heard that the Zangyack Prince wanted to marry Princess Ahim, I knew that it wasn't going to be a good thing.

"That's why I asked him to make the following conditions," he looked down on the scroll and began to read. "Furthermore, should the union not be able to take place, both kingdoms shall be placed in a permanent cease-fire, thus preventing any retaliation from any party. Should the cease-fire be put in place, there will be no further delegations from either kingdom to the other. All those that are caught shall be subject to justice by the invaded countries law. In addition, any kingdom caught violating the cease-fire will be severed from the Red Empire and treated as an enemy to the Red Emperor."

"So you managed to evict the Zangyack Prince from the Kingdom," Luka mused, giving her approval.

Takeru rolled up the scroll and pocketed it, "But how we were going to get the princess out of there without using Kingdom de Famille's troops was left up to Kaoru."

The king chuckled and looked over at Marvelous and Doc, "I believe you three got acquainted, Captain Marvelous, Don 'Doc' Dogoier of the Gokai-Pirates."

"You knew?" Doc asked while Marvelous raised an eyebrow.

"Not at first," the King admitted. "But Kaoru found out when one of her men found your ship at one of the yards."

"You have a damn good Captain," Marvelous said as his mind drifted back to the afternoon.

* * *

_ "Now then," Kaoru said as she pushed Marvelous back with the force of her blow, disarming him. "Let's finish this off."_

_ Marvelous crossed his arms over his head in a futile attempt to protect himself. _

_ "Marvelous!" Doc cried out before he was overcome by the sheer mass of Zangyack soldiers surrounding him. _

_ Kaoru stepped back. Raising her rapier to stab Marvelous, she waited until a multitude of troops were surrounding Marvelous before she struck the nearest four troops._

_ "What?" Kaoru tossed his cutlass back to him, working in sync to thin the crowd. "You didn't actually think I was on their side?"_

_ "Lucky for you," Marvelous growled. "Or else I might've killed you."_

_ "Oh please, your first mate was better than you," Kaoru said as she freed Doc. "Let's finish this!"_

* * *

"Next time, I'm gonna fight her seriously," Marvelous declared to the King, who merely laughed it off.

"Kaoru was also to deliver my letter to you, Joe," the King said. "But with all those Zangyack troops surrounding her, she probably couldn't do it in a proper manner."

"She pushed me down and slipped it onto my belt," Joe shrugged, while Luka unfolded the letter.

"To Joe of the Gokai-Pirates, save my daughter," she read aloud. Skipping over the pleasantries, Luka looked at the King and bluntly asked, "Where's the reward?"

Once more the King laughed as he beckoned for four of his servants to come forth, each bearing a heavy sack of Zagins. "Will this be enough?" he asked as they dropped it onto the deck, causing the flagship to tip slightly starboard.

Luka swallowed hard as she imagined all she could do with that much money.

"It isn't all for you, you know," Marvelous reminded her as he stole one of the bags and threw another at Doc, who caught it with a "oof".

Luka glared at Marvelous, but followed him and Doc back to the Galleon to store the money. "Joe," she said as she noticed that he had not followed them but stayed alongside with Ahim. "You got five minutes."

Joe nodded, and looked over at Ahim. Taking her hands in his, he asked her, "Do you remember what you asked this morning?"

Ahim nodded slowly, "I asked you if I could join your crew, to escape my marriage."

"We'd be happy to have you with us," Joe told her.

Ahim smiled, and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "If only I could go," she said sadly.

"Why can't you go?"

"Because it was you who reminded me where I belong," Ahim reminded him. "Because I am needed here, to protect my people and to eventually rule over them."

Soberly, Joe nodded, "I'm sure you'll do a great job," he congratulated her as he let go of her hands. "You would've made a great negotiator for us."

The king smiled at the remark that was so close to the one he had made a few days earlier and left the scene with the rest of his servants and Takeru, returning to his cabin. With just the two of them left, Joe cleared his throat and bowed, turning towards the galleon. He stepped onto the sturdy planks that bridged the gap between the two ships.

"Wait, Joe-kun," Ahim reached out, grabbing onto his jacket.

Without turning back, Joe asked, "What?"

"Will you come back for me?" Ahim blushed. "To visit me and-"

But her words were cut off as Joe enveloped her in a hug. "As often as I can," he said. "Don't know when Marvelous wants to come back."  
"At least once a year!"

The two of them looked over to the galleon and saw Luka and Marvelous watching them. "Once a year, right Marvelous?"

"Why not?" Marvelous yawned. "I like the idea of coming back here. It's not a bad place."

Ahim bowed, "We will be sure to welcome you back."

"Don't bother," he waved away the invitation. "We're pirates, remember?"

Ahim turned back to Joe, "But... Once a year is not a short wait," she stated.

"Then how about this?" Joe pulled Ahim over to the middle of the planks and went down on one knee in front of her. His right hand over his heart, and his left on the hilt of his sword, he bowed his head.

"Princess Ahim de Famille of Kingdom de Famille, I swear to honour this oath for the rest of my life. I swear that until the end, I will be yours if you will be mine. I will be your swordsman if you will be my princess. I will return to you as often as I can. I will protect you to the best of my ability, be loyal to you and you only. I swear to love you and only you, no matter what the consequences will be," he looked up at Ahim, who had tears of joy near her eyes. "Do you accept?"

Ahim held out her hand to Joe, who took it.

"Joe Gibken of the Gokai-Pirates, I swear to honour this oath for the rest of my life. I swear that until the end, I will be yours because you will be mine. I will be your princess because you will be my swordsman. I will be here to welcome you whenever you return to me. For you, I will be loyal to you and you only. I swear to love you and only you, no matter what the consequences shall be. I accept your oath."

Joe rose up and kissed her hand. Taking back her hand, Ahim unclipped her saber from her belt. "I have nothing to offer you that would be useful on your voyages," Ahim told him softly. "But I want you to have this to have a reminder that I am there with you."

Joe took the saber and unfastened his own. "You need this then, if you're in need of ceremonial sword in court."

Leaning down, Joe kissed her before he drew her saber. Saluting crisply with it, he sheathed it once more before he walked over to his ship.

Ahim crossed back to the flagship as the servants began to untie the ropes connecting the two ships. Watching as the crew of the Gokai-Galleon raced around their port side, she noticed her father return to her side.

The Gokai-Galleon slowly began to turn away from the flagship, as Ahim and the rest of the flagship's passengers waved goodbye. From the crow's nest, Joe gave a small wave back to them. Ahim watched as they sailed off into the rising sun, slowly becoming a small speck in the light.

"How do you know he'll return?" her father asked.

Ahim smiled as she unsheathed Joe's cutlass, touching the blade with two fingers, allowing it to sing under her touch. She turned back to her father in full confidence.

"Because he did once. And he'll do it again."

* * *

**It's the end of the road. **

** Like seriously, this time, I mean it. I know I was like, "Oh, seven days, seven chapters," but this time, it's the end LOL I don't know how many of you read this part, but it's kinda long this time, so bear with me. If not, skip right to the end.**

** Couple of thoughts on these last two chapters. Originally, I had planned for the seven days, seven chapters, but as I started writing chapter seven, I found that I needed to split the two to make sense and to leave cliff-hangers or something. I just felt that it worked out better this way. Chapter seven had a few funny moments in there, because serious humour does wonders with my writing. As well, in my original notes, I had meant for the ending to be one where Ahim actually DID run away with Joe. She would actually be engaged or it would hint that she'd be engaged to Joe. But then, I thought, "That sort of ending seems kinda cheesy to me... Do you really want it?" I felt that if it was a very happy, they end up together with no troubles kind of ending, the impact would be lost. I guess I've become so attracted to the Slice of Life genre that my writing changed to suit it, n'est pas? So if I actually did have an uber happy ending, the story would be compromised. So after much debate and asking around, I changed it to the ending that you see here. I felt that it was better and could be something that could actually happen. Still somewhat happy and cheesy, but at the same time, it sticks with Slice of Life. One of my friends told me that it sounded like Pirates of the Caribbean when I was discussing the ending with her.**

** So when it came to write this out, I really didn't know what came over me. I had just finished Gobusters vs Gokaiger and was really fanboying HARD over how cute and beautiful Yui Koike had become over the year. Like seriously. DAMN. I felt like I needed to write something and I was going to continue with my previous continuity line, but it just felt clunky. I hadn't written anything that I posted up in like... seven months. Like, I had another TakeruxMako that was on the backburner (actually, I have a lot of fanfictions that are on hiatus...) but nothing was really working for I put down writing for now, but I still had a lot of ideas floating around but still nothing came, until one day, when I was showering, the idea just came in my head, and I was like... this could work. So I ended up writing the point form version of it all in three hours and every day, I would aim to write a chapter. So in ten days, 37 pages, this beauty has been created. And every day when it was finished, I would send it to Lisa for editing, because Lord knows I need someone to tell me it's good before I put it online. **

** In the end, I'd really like to thank you all for accompanying me on this journey. Thanks for all your reviews, your favourites, your subscriptions and support. Like I said, it's been a while since I've written something and wasn't sure if I could handle this amount of writing (think I got a few cramps along the way...), but thanks for everything! Also, I gotta thank Lisa and Pearl for being there to read this when I was writing this, can't do this without you two! Somehow, it doesn't feel complete now if I write without your editing LOL**

**Please leave a review! Look forward to my next fanfiction!**

** Whenever it is...**


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